RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) — Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined North Carolina food bank leaders to receive the first in a series of egg deliveries totaling nearly three million eggs. Food banks in North Carolina will receive the eggs as part of a Jackson reached with three of the nation’s largest egg producers over allegations that they violated antitrust laws by manipulating the information that helps set egg prices in the United States.
The first eggs were delivered to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in Raleigh. The North Carolina Department of Justice is working closely with Feeding the Carolinas to distribute the eggs to food banks across the state.
“This settlement does more than stop these producers from breaking the rules,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “It brings millions of eggs to our state that food banks can use to help feed North Carolinians. These deliveries will make a real impact, and I’m grateful to Feeding the Carolinas for their work to make sure these eggs go where they are needed most.”
Jackson, 16 other bipartisan attorneys general, and the United States reached the settlement with the egg producers — Cal-Maine, Hickman’s Family Farms, and Versova — in June. The settlement resolves allegations that the producers violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Large buyers, such as grocery stores and restaurants, typically buy eggs at prices tied to industry benchmarks. Consumers then pay for eggs at prices that are closely tied to those benchmark prices. The three producers allegedly worked together between 2022 and 2025 to share information and coordinate on bidding to manipulate the key benchmark and artificially inflate the price of eggs.
As part of the settlement, the companies will donate 50 million eggs to food banks across the country. The settlement also requires all three companies to end their illegal coordination to manipulate price benchmarks, adopt compliance measures to prevent future violations, and cooperate with oversight by the states. Additionally, they must designate compliance officers who will report any violations of the settlement to the states and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Attorney General Jackson was joined in reaching the settlement by the U.S. Department of Justice and the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.